Wireless handsets have been enabled to perform the functions of computers, electronic organizers, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs). However, it has become increasingly challenging to provide them with user interfaces suited for entering text. Generally, wireless handsets support keyboard functions and a display screen on which a user can read text, surf the Web, prepare e-mails, view videos, and perform other such operations.
In general, users seem to be more comfortable with, and can enter more text using the familiar QWERTY keyboard. However, complete text keyboards are not easily integrated into a small device without making the keys too small. On the other hand, the larger the keyboard, the less area is available for the display screen and other features.
The mobile devices that come equipped with miniature text keyboards are generally designed to transmit and receive e-mail messages, text messages, or other text-based information. Sometimes the display screen and complete QWERTY keyboard share the same front face of the wireless handset, in which the display is on the top portion of the front face and the miniature QWERTY keyboard is on the bottom portion of the front face. Generally, a user types on the QWERTY keyboard using their thumbs in a manner similar to typing into a full-sized keyboard or a desktop computer.
Some wireless handsets only have a touch screen that lack a physical keyboard and also lack tactile feedback which is a major disadvantage compared to a miniature QWERTY keyboard. To overcome this problem, some touch screen handsets have a built in miniature QWERTY keyboard that are concealed in a first position and slide out in a second position that enables a user to interact with the QWERTY keyboard. Other touch screen handsets include a second position that requires the user to twist, flip, or rotate the QWERTY keyboard. These devices are clumsy to operate because the keyboard extends from the central body that is substantially heavier than the keyboard.
QWERTY keyboards may also be split. However, these split QWERTY keyboard arrangements provide a QWERTY keyboard device that is bulky and users find it awkward to use split QWERTY keyboards.